Essential Tips for Travelling to Portugal On A Budget

Essential Tips for Travelling to Portugal On A Budget

If you’re looking to get away from it all, and let’s face it, after the year we’ve had, who isn’t, then you should seriously consider spending some time in Portugal. With over a thousand miles of coastline, some of the best beaches in Europe, all year round good weather, fascinating historic cities, great food, great wine and, well the list just goes on and on, Portugal is a great place to get a fresh outlook on life and recharge those batteries.  This country has something for everyone, so here are some tips to help you have a memorable visit, without breaking the bank.

Avoid the peak season of July and August

For many of us, our opportunities for travel are dictated by school holidays, but if you are able to avoid peak travel times you’ll enjoy the benefits of cheaper flights and accommodation and fewer tourists and you’ll avoid the scorching summer heat.  The most congenial times to visit Portugal are March-May and September and October, you’ll still enjoy warm sunny days, but you’ll also have a much cheaper and less busy experience. Winter temperatures in central Portugal can get very cold, but in the cities, temperatures don’t really drop below 10 degrees centigrade, making them ideal locations for a winter city break.

Use city tourist cards

You’ll save a lot of money and get to do a whole lot more if you invest in a city tourist card. The Porto card, for example, will give you free public transport and free access to six museums as well as around a 150 other discounts, all for as little as 13 euros per person.

Don’t just rely on your cards, use cash

If you buy your euros before departure you are likely to get a much better exchange rate than buying on arrival. If you use your cards to pay for every transaction, you’ll be paying an administration fee every time, so it makes financial sense to always carry cash. Check with your insurance company so that you know how much money is covered by your policy in the event of loss or theft and keep your cards as a backup.

Walk, don’t ride

Make sure that you’ve got comfortable footwear, a hat and a map and walk rather than drive if you can. Outside of the peak season it won’t be nearly as hot, and you’ll discover all kinds of things that you would have otherwise missed.

Research your accommodation

Holiday rental accommodation in Portugal, is cheaper this year than it was last year in some areas, so don’t rush into your booking, shop around. Do your research and ensure that you are getting a location that works for you. Cheap accommodation which requires you to make daily taxi or bus trips to get to where you want is not really, cheap accommodation.  There are plenty of stunning places to stay, so make sure that you choose wisely.

 

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